


Reflections

by There_Once_Was_A_Girl



Series: Samwell Soulmates [5]
Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Light Angst, like the lightest of angst, this is almost entirely fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-28
Updated: 2016-11-28
Packaged: 2018-09-02 17:33:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,927
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8676460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/There_Once_Was_A_Girl/pseuds/There_Once_Was_A_Girl
Summary: Chris "Chowder" Chow is lucky. He catches his first glimpse of his soulmate in a mirror when he's five years old, they've been friends, and more ever since. 
A Charmer Soulmate AU, in a world where everyone's soul connection is different Chowder an Farmer can see each other when they look into mirrors at the same time.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to Sophia_Prester who came up with the idea of the mirror thing for Charmer's soulbond, I appreciate you so much. 
> 
> This is shorter than the others because honestly I cannot find much conflict in these two. I think I'm incapable of purposefully filling Chowder's with any form of suffering. So there is a certain lack of plot. 
> 
> As always I own nothing, all credit goes to Ngozi.

Chris Chow is five the first time it happens. He’s dressed up for his aunt’s wedding, standing in front of his mother’s large mirror, except then all of a sudden it’s not him staring back at him from the mirror, it’s a girl with light brown hair and pale skin. His eyes went wide at the sight of her. Her own eyes are wide. 

“Mom?!” Chris asks. She comes over to him in a rush, obviously worried by how freaked out he sounds. 

“Chris honey what’s going on?” She asks.

“Do you see her?” Chris asks, gesturing towards the mirror. “The girl?!” His mother looks at the mirror, completely confused. 

“What do you mean?” She asked. “It’s just you and me in that mirror.” 

“No it’s not!” He insists. “There’s a girl! My age!” 

“There’s no one there.” His mother tells him, “Do you feel alright?” 

“I’m fine!” Chris whines. He waves at the girl and she waves back, looking shocked. 

“If you’re teasing I swear-” His mom starts, then something appears to dawn on her. “Or… oh! Oh that makes so much more sense.” 

“What?!” Chris pleads whirling to look at her. He doesn’t want to look away from the girl in the mirror but he is so frustrated with his mother. 

“Your soul-connection honey. She’s your soulmate.” His mother tells him with a smile. “There must be some sort of connection through mirrors.” She adds. 

“Oh!” Chris exclaims, turning back to the girl in the mirror. She appears to be having a similar sort of conversation as he had been. Chris studies her face, wondering what she was like. After all this girl, this girl was the person he was going to spend the rest of his life with. If he was allowed to Chris would have spent the whole day just sitting in front of the mirror watching the girl, but his mom sighs. 

“Chris honey. We’ve gotta go. You’re the ring bearer.” She says apologetically. Chris frowns. 

“I have to go.” He says to the girl in the mirror slowly, gesturing over his shoulder. She looks a little confused. He resolves to figure out a better way to talk to her. 

“Goodbye.” He says waving goodbye to her. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Caitlin Farmer quickly grows very fond of the boy she sometimes saw in the mirror. He is so sweet, always so excited to see her. She starts carrying a little compact mirror with her all the time, so she can check for him every now and then. It seems like they only ever see each other if they both look into a mirror. She sees him often enough that she suspects he has his own little mirror to carry around. They’re still working on finding a way to communicate. Both of them are trying to learn to read and write, but they aren’t quite there.

Caitlin throws herself into learning with everything she has. She’s determined to be able to talk to her soulmate. She wants to be able to talk to to him about her life, wants to be able to tell him jokes so she can see his bright smile. It’s one of her favorite things. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As soon as they learn to read and write both Chris and his soulmate realize that their notes don’t show up properly through the mirrors. It was highly unfortunate. Chris asks his parents what to do. His father thinks about it for a while. 

“You see everything through the mirrors, so maybe you need mirror images.” He says, “Like Leonardo da Vinci, he used to write in mirror images.” 

“Oh! Yeah! That makes sense!” Chowder says excitedly. “How do I do that?” 

His father helps him figure out how to write a simple message. ‘Can you read this?’ He asks. He holds the sheet of paper up in front of the big mirror. When his soulmate sees it she smiles so wide. She nods enthusiastically. 

“Yes!” Chowder exclaims jumping for joy. He sits down with his father and a handheld mirror and painstakingly writes down a new message. ‘We have to write mirror images.’ 

‘Oh!’ She writes back after a period of time. 

They exchange their first messages with painstaking slowness. Sitting with notebooks and smaller mirrors in front of bigger mirrors. They always appear in the biggest mirror present, so there aren’t double images. Slowly but surely they get better. Soon Chris doesn’t even need a mirror to write in reverse, and he can read mirror images just as well as normal writing. It’s a fun trick he can show off for friends. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

‘Hey!’ Chris writes every day after school. ‘How are you?’ They’ve both acquired whiteboards to write on so that they don’t have to go through endless notebooks filled with their conversations.

‘I’m good! How about you?’ She asks grinning.

‘Fantastic!’ He answers. He’s twelve and already plays on the local little league hockey team. ‘We have a game tomorrow! I’m so excited! You’re playing your rivals this weekend as well aren’t you?’ His soulmate plays volleyball. They exchange stats and stories all the time about games all the time. He loves it. He loves talking to her. It’s his favorite part of every day. 

‘Yeah we do! I’m really nervous!’ She confesses. 

‘Don’t be! You’ll be amazing. You guys always win. You’ll do great.’ He promises.

‘Not always. You are the one with an undefeated record this season.’ She answers. He laughs. 

‘You lost once! That hardly counts.’ He tells her. 

‘You know it does.’ She tells him but he can see that she’s not serious. He just grins back at her and rolls his eyes. She smiles at him. 

‘You’re my best friend.’ He writes after a moment. She smiles at that, looking a little teary eyed. 

‘And you’re mine.’ She answers. He smiles at her. She means the whole world to him. It doesn’t matter that he doesn’t know her name, or what her voice sounds like. He knows, even when he’s still a kid that she’s his whole future.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Caitlin knows she loves her soulmate by the time she’s sixteen. Seeing him makes her smile. The way he ends almost every sentence with an exclamation point makes her heart a little brighter. The way his face lights up when he sees her makes everything better. Talking to him makes everything a little bit brighter. 

‘How are you?’ He asks one day, like every day. Caitlin cannot tell why this day is any different from any other day, except that he’s just cut his hair, and he’s wearing a button down shirt for the sports banquet he’s just come from and he’s just hit by how much she loves this boy. 

‘I’m fantastic.’ She writes. ‘Actually, I wanted to tell you something…’

‘Oh! What’s that?’ He asks brightly. 

‘I love you.’ She writes back, but hesitates before holding up her whiteboard.

‘You know you can tell me anything.’ He writes to her. She smiles because of course he would know exactly what to say, he always does. She erases her message for a moment.

‘Thank you.’ She tells him. ‘I wanted to say that I love you.’ His eyes go wide and then fill with tears even as a wide smile spread across his face. It makes her heart melt. His hand is shaking as he writes back. 

‘I love you too.’ Caitlin doesn’t know when she started crying but she has. ‘Wait you meant like… romantically right?’ He asks hurriedly looking worried. 

‘Of course.’ She answers, grinning. 

‘Me too!’ He answers. It makes her giggle, which makes him chuckle. She wishes she could hear his laugh in that moment, as they’re both laughing and crying, sitting on their respective bedroom floors, watching each other through their mirrors. 

‘So we’re a couple then?’ She asks. He grins and nods eagerly. 

‘Yeah, I mean it’s gonna be hard to make this work, like long distance I guess, but it’ll be okay.’ He answers. ‘I love you so much. I’m never going to love anyone else.’ 

‘I feel exactly the same way.’ She agrees. ‘I guess I’ll have to tell the girls that you’re my boyfriend now.’

‘Wow! This is incredible!’ He exclaims. ‘You’re the best!’ He looks happier than Caitlin has ever seen him. It seems just about right. She’s happier than she’s ever been.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chris doesn’t go to senior prom. Instead he strings up lights over the trees in his backyard and brings his full length mirror out into the yard. He writes a playlist, and tells her when to start it. They can’t really slow dance but they can dance near each other. His soulmate looks beautiful, she’s wearing a teal dress She’s the most beautiful person Chris has ever seen. She always is but she looks even more beautiful than usual. He tells her so. She blushes.

‘And you look very handsome.’ She tells him. He’s wearing a suit instead of his well-worn Sharks hoodie. His tie is teal. He wishes he could have sent her flowers. She tells him he’s ridiculous. They dance across from each other, and eat dinner just across the mirror from each other, and it’s beautiful. The funny thing is, it’s not that different from their normal date nights. They often eat together, but usually sitting in their pajamas on their bedroom floors. Sometimes they’ll watch movies together too, taking turns who plays the movie and who has to watch it through the mirror with subtitles. 

As far as Chris is concerned they have as full a relationship as any couple. Sure they’re miles apart from each other but they still see each other every day. They love each other. They can talk to each other whenever they want. Everything else… they figure out. They’ve agreed on going to college together. She got a volleyball scholarship at Samwell, and he got a hockey scholarship so everything is better than they could hope for. He wonders if she’ll look different in person. He knows her face so well, but it’s a mirror image of what she actually looks like. Just thinking about what it’s gonna be like hearing her voice, getting to spend time with her… it makes him feel like his chest is going to explode. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Caitlin reaches Samwell she has no idea what to expect. She loves it. She loves her team, she loves the campus, and she feels so much closer to her soulmate. They haven’t made plans on meeting each other. They wanted it to happen naturally, figured it was more romantic that way. It was Cait’s idea and her soulmate had agreed enthusiastically. He does most things enthusiastically. She loves it. She can’t wait to meet him. She keeps looking for him everywhere, but she hasn’t seen his bright smile yet. Nothing can dampen it, not even his braces. She keeps an eye out for the familiar teal of his iconic Sharks hoodie. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chris is so excited to be at Samwell. The team is fantastic. He’s never been so excited in his entire life. The guys are so wonderful. Bitty is basically Chris’s personal hero. He likes the nickname they’ve picked for him too: Chowder. It’s good. Everything is good. Everything is positive, and soon he’ll meet his soulmate and it will be perfect.

“Wait, you’re telling me your soulmate is here, but you still haven’t met her yet?” Shitty demands of Chowder one day. 

“Yep! We thought it would be better if we could meet naturally. She says it will be more romantic! I agree!” Chris answers easily. 

“Oh you sweet child, that is so adorable.” Shitty tells him. 

“What’re we talking about?” Holster asks coming into the room. 

“Chowder’s soulmate. They’ve been together like two years, but they still haven’t properly met. They see each other in mirrors.” Shitty answers. 

“Oh wow! Damn, go you, that’s commitment. All that time… damn.” Ransom says. 

“What?” Chris asks, confused. 

“It’s a long time to be in a long distance relationship without… well you know…”

“Sex.” Shitty fills in. “Basically he’s saying sorry you’re a virgin.” That makes Chris blush.

“Well, that depends.” He blurts. They all stare at him. 

“What?” Shitty asks. “I mean, first of all virginity is a stupid social construct which is used to oppress women, but well… Still… what?” 

“Depends on what you count as sex.” Chris says blushing. “I’m not telling you the details of our sex life but we’ve had two years to work all this out. Anyway, what about you guys?!” He changes the subject as rapidly as he can. The three of them stare at him some more. 

“Fuck yeah!” Shitty says. “Screw the goddamn expectations of the world. Also, I fucking knew you were not the goddamn innocent flower everyone thinks you are! I knew it!”

“Never tell Bitty.” Ransom insists. “It would ruin him to know his sweet summer child is less than an innocent baby.” 

“How about we never talk about this again?” Chowder suggests hopefully. 

“Okay, so he’s still a little innocent.” Holster says. “We’ll drop it Chow.” He promises. 

“He’s not innocent, he’s an adult who wants to keep his shit to himself.” Lardo’s voice interrupts from the doorway. “Sorry Chow, I overheard most of that. We’ll keep it between us though.” She adds. 

“That’s okay, Lardo!” Chris reassures, because honestly if he’s okay with anyone hearing this it’s Lardo. Chowder loves Lardo. She is his hero. 

“Leave the guy alone, and for god’s sake when you meet her leave his soulmate alone too.” Lardo instructs. The guys nod obediently like scolded schoolchildren. Chris sighs. Lardo is an inspiration. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Caitlin thinks she’s ready for anything, right up until her soulmate literally crashes into her on the quad. She falls into a pile of leaves, with no idea that the world is about to change forever. She’s laughing as she sits up, trying to clear leaves away from her face. 

“I’m so sorry!” Someone is apologizing profusely. She turns towards him with a smile on her face.

“It’s okay no harm…” Caitlin trails off when she sees him. His face is achingly familiar, but oddly different, a perfect mirror image of the face she’s fallen in love with. It’s odd to see his hair swooping the opposite direction from what she’s used to. They stare at each other for a long moment, in complete shock. Then he throws his arms around her and hugs her tightly.

“It’s you! Oh my god! I can’t believe it! Hi!” He exclaims rapidly. She laughs and hugs him back hardly able to believe he’s here. 

“Hi.” She squeaks. “Oh my god! I’m so happy I found you.” 

“Me too!” He agrees. “I… Do you…”

“Can I kiss you?” Caitlin asks, knowing what he was getting at and beating him to it. He doesn’t really answer, just leans forwards to press his lips to hers. 

Their first kiss is about thirty seconds after the first moment they truly meet, and it’s absolutely perfect. Caitlin wouldn’t have it any other way. When she pulls back he’s grinning. 

“My name’s Caitlin by the way, Caitlin Farmer.” Cait tells him he chuckles.

“Chris Chow.” He says. “Nice to meet you.” 

“Nice to meet you too.” She says before pulling him into another kiss. They’re still sitting in a leaf pile and their friends are all crowded nearby awkwardly trying to pretend they aren’t paying attention. Neither Caitlin or Chris care. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After that Caitlin and Chris are together all the time. It’s fantastic. Chris is still not used to seeing her real face, actually there. If anything, he thinks she looks more beautiful than ever, but he’s still adjusting. He loves her. He knows that plenty of people struggle to figure out their soulmate bonds. He knows his team is full of soulmates who can’t figure everything out immediately, but with him and Caitlin… they just love each other. It’s just easy. Well, sometimes they end up waking up at the same time and it makes it a little difficult to go through morning routines when they cannot see themselves in the mirror. That is easily solved by simply sleeping in the same bed. When they look in the same mirror they just see their own reflections. They spend most nights together in his dorm or hers. 

It’s a relief when Jack gives Chowder his dibs. He’ll finally have a room all to himself where they can spend the night without feeling guilty about roommates being around. 

“Oh, this is gonna be great!” Chris exclaims. “I have to tell Cait! She’s gonna be so happy!” 

“You two doing well?” Jack asks. 

“Yeah, we’re great.” Chris answers with a smile. “It’s just… easy to be with Cait. We’ve figured it all out. I guess we just had a lot of time to talk things out you know?”

“Yeah, well so did Ransom and Holster and it still took them a year after they met to get together.” Jack chuckles “I mean, look at me and Bitty. We had a lot of time to talk about things, and we… well you know.”

“You guys figured it out eventually. Everybody goes at different paces, it’s okay.” Chowder offers brightly. Jack grins at him.

“You’re reassuring me, eh?” He asks. 

“I just got lucky. Cait, she’s real direct about this stuff. When she figured out that she loved me, she just told me, when she met, she just asked if she could kiss me. She doesn’t let things go unsaid. If it was up to me it would have taken a lot longer for us to get together.” Chris admits. Jack smiles. 

“Good for you two. Farmer is really great. I’m glad you two are happy together.” He says. 

“Thanks. And you and Bitty, how are you doing?” Chowder asks a little hesitantly. Jack bits his lip. 

“We’re okay. It’s hard, knowing I’m going to have to move away from him. You guys are gonna have to take good care of him after I leave. Not that he can’t take plenty good care of himself, but I don’t want… I never want him to feel lonely.” Jack says. 

“He’ll never be alone.” Chowder promises.

“Thanks, Chow.” Jack says, clapping him on the back. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Chris moves into the Haus, Cait more or less moves with him. Technically she still has her own dorm room, but she almost never sleeps there. The guys accept her easily. Bitty makes breakfast for her in the mornings just like everyone else. Her shampoo and conditioner take up residence in Chowder and Lardo’s shared bathroom and no one cares one bit. 

Everything is positive until the second to last game of Caitlin’s season. Chris is there, cheering her on. It’s a hard game but Cait’s doing okay until she’s not. She and one of her teammates go down in a big crash. Cait’s pretty sure the whole gym hears her ankle snap. She doesn’t remember screaming, just remembers the worst pain she’s ever felt. The next thing she knows Chris has scooped her into his arms. He must have literally jumped over people to get to her on the court. He stays with her as the trainer comes. He comes with her when the EMTs show up and take her to the ambulance. 

“I’m her soulmate.” Chris tells the EMTs. 

“Let him come, please.” Cait gasps, she’s trying not to cry and failing horribly so she just hangs onto his hand tightly. 

“It’s gonna be okay, Cait.” He promises. “You’re gonna be okay. I’m right here.” She hangs onto his hand tightly, unable to say anything.

The whole night is a blur of waiting rooms, fluorescent lights and doctors, a cast and the words bad break being said again and again. Cait wonders if she’s purposefully blocked most of it. All she knows is through the whole thing Chris is there, holding her hand. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chowder hates watching Caitlin suffer. Seeing her in pain is the worst thing that he’s ever had to go through. It’s a hard few weeks. She’s good natured about the crutches and the cast, but there’s a dark sort of look in her eyes. He knows why it’s there. He knows exactly what words are haunting her. 

“I understand that you are a college athlete, but I simply cannot advise you doing any serious athletic activity that will impact your ankle.” The doctor had said at her appointment halfway through her healing. 

“Well obviously, she’s in a cast.” Chris had tried, hopefully. The doctor had grimaced at that.

“I’m afraid I mean ever. Caitlin, your ankle broke in a very unique way. It will never be the same again, impact simply will not do you any good, and could do a good deal of harm. You’ll walk perfectly well again, it might be sore sometimes, but you’ll be fine. It’s just things like running, basketball, volleyball, that really won’t be good for you at least not at any sort of competitive level. Biking and swimming are your new best friends.” Those words have been haunting the both of them ever since. Cait has refused to talk about it, which isn’t like her. 

He does as much as he can, carries her books, and does all he can to distract her. She starts spending a lot of time with the team. The guys are all happy to welcome her in. Lardo is the best, she and Cait are good friends. Lardo’s good at never being pitying, good at taking Caitlin’s mind off her injury. Chris has never been more grateful that he has such amazing friends, friends who love his soulmate. 

Holster lends Chowder his car so he can drive Caitlin to the hospital to get her cast off. As they sit in a room waiting for the doctor to come in she looks at him and sighs.

“I’m never going to play with the volleyball team again.” She says. She doesn’t sound broken hearted, just matter of fact. If anything it’s worse, like she’s trying to pretend it doesn’t matter. 

“I’m so sorry, Cait.” He says softly. 

“I talked to the school. They’re still going to pay my scholarship even though I can’t be on the team anymore. They say that they promised me four years and that it’s not my fault. They got me injured and that shouldn’t rob me of an education.” She says. 

“That’s great!” Chris exclaims. “Oh that’s really wonderful!”

“Yeah.” She agrees, and now there’s emotion in her voice. “I… I think I’m okay? I mean, volleyball was fun and I liked it pretty well but I didn’t love it. I did it because I was good at it, because I was an athlete and I liked to win. I think that’s the hardest thing. It’s just that I tied so much of who I am to the fact that I was an athlete, and I can’t be that anymore. And it really hurts.” She admits, her voice is shaky and her eyes are filled with unshed tears. Chowder’s heart feels like it might shatter for her. He pulls her into his arms. 

“You are so much more than just an athlete, love.” He tells her firmly. “You are so strong. You are so smart, and incredible, and so much more than just a girl who can play volleyball. Even if you’re never an athlete again you will always be an amazing person.” 

“It’s just hard. It’s so hard.” She cries into his shoulder. 

“I know, honey.” He agrees. “It’s okay, you’re allowed to be upset, you’re allowed to cry and be angry and everything else. It’s hard but we’re going to get through it together okay. I am right here for you. Always always.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Caitlin cries herself out on Chris’s shoulder. No matter how hard everything is, his arms feel like home. As Cait does her physical therapy and heals up she spends more and more time with the hockey team. It’s not like Caitlin didn’t love her volleyball team. She loves them and she’s still part of them if only in a sort of advisory position way, but the SMH team is just… a family. A family that welcomes her with open arms. She loves them, and they love her. Lardo is one of Chris’s closest friends on the team and Caitlin gets along with her better than she expected. They have very different personalities but they are good friends. When Lardo graduates she looks at Caitlin very seriously. 

“Listen. I know you’re still a part of the volleyball team. I know you’ve got your own people, but what would you say to maybe taking up my spot on this one too?” She asks. “These boys need a manager keeping them in check and you’ve got a good head on your shoulders.”

“I’d love to.” Caitlin answers immediately. Before Lardo can dodge Cait throws her arms around the shorter girl. 

“Thanks for everything!” She says, tearing up a bit. 

“Is it hugging Farmer time?” Holster asks spotting them. Before either of the girls can answer Ransom and Holster catch them up in a group hug. 

“We’re going to miss you, Farmer.” Ransom says. 

“Seriously though, bro. You are the best.” Holster says. Between the two gigantic hockey players Caitlin and Lardo have been lifted off the ground. “Keep in touch.” 

“Of course.” Cait promises. She knows, knows in the way they all do, that once you are a part of this team, this family, you are always a part of the family. Caitlin’s a part of the team now, and she wouldn’t want to get out even if she could. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next few years are good. With Caitlin managing the team and Chowder playing better than ever they’re happy. Caitlin starts biking a lot, even enters some races nearby. She does really well. Chowder is so proud of her. As far as he’s concerned he’s the luckiest person in the whole world. Some people really struggle, but Chowder has always lived a really good life. He has the best friends, the best soulmate and he loves every bit of his life. Then it gets a little bit sweeter. 

It’s his senior year and Chris has been talking to a bunch of different NHL team managers. He’s made quite a name for himself in the NCAA and there are a bunch of teams interested in signing him. He had never expected when he started college that he would really end up being able to go pro with hockey, but here he is. It’s a dream come true. But then... then he get The Call. He feels dizzy and lightheaded when he finally says goodbye. He walks very slowly down the stairs to find Caitlin in the living room. 

“Who were you talking to?” She asks with a smile. 

“Doug Wilson.” He answers his voice quiet. He sits down on the couch eyes wide, in complete shock.

“Doug Wilson like, manager of the Sharks Doug Wilson?!” She demands. He nods slowly in shock. 

“Yeah… that’s the one. He… the Sharks want me.” He tells her. His voice is quiet. She’s starting to get a little concerned. She’s never seen him like this. She would have expected him to be beyond excited but he just looks sort of like someone has his him over the head with a brick.

“Honey that’s fantastic!” She tells him trying to prompt a more normal reaction. He blinks at her, still in shock. 

“I just… How can I be this lucky?” He asks. “It doesn’t seem real. It doesn’t seem fair. I mean, what did I do to deserve the perfect life?” 

“You know how people say that sometimes bad things happen to good people, and it makes no sense?” She asks him. Chris nods. “Right well, sometimes it does work that way. But I guess I like to think that sometimes good things happen to good people, because it’s only fair. Someone has to get the fairytale life, even if most people can’t. It keeps people hoping, and it give that person a chance to make everyone else’s lives better too. You, Chris Chow are an incredible person, and you deserve an incredible life.” She tells him. He kisses her softly, words failing him. 

After that he gets excited. He calls everyone he knows and tells them that he’s going to play for the Sharks. He promises himself that he’s gonna do everything he can to help other people. He’s gonna do all he can to help improve people’s lives. So soon after he starts playing with the Sharks Chris starts a charity dedicated to helping kids. It’s about helping kids play sports and maintain good grades. Girls and boys, good and bad athletes, rich and poor. He wants to help everyone have a chance, everyone get an opportunity to have a good life through education and athletics. After all, Chris Chow got his fairytale life, with his fairytale princess and the least he can do is help other people have a shot at theirs. Caitlin for her part, helps him run the whole mess, all while cycling all the time, and working as a marine biologist. She always tells Chris that he is a miraculous sort of person. Personally he thinks that she is a better person than he could ever hope to be. It is, he thinks, why they’re so happy together. Both of them think that the other is the most incredible person they’ve ever met, and both of them are always made better by each other.

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so I think this turned into more of a story of how Caitlin Farmer fell in love with the SMH team a little, but... whoops. Idk I love the idea of her becoming a part of the team in her own way. Also sorry for breaking her ankle it seemed unkind to me but I wanted to write a little bit of struggle for these two and how they get through it together. Also the idea of tieing so much of yourself to one aspect of you, and struggling to figure out who exactly you are if not that when you lose it, is something that's been on my mind a lot lately. 
> 
> For those of you asking why they didn't just learn sign language... I don't know... I just liked the idea of them writing in mirror images better and I decided to take some artistic liberty here.
> 
> Thanks for reading. I hope you guys enjoyed the story. Let me know what you thought!


End file.
